Zhang Huan and the use of the word artist
Firstly, I completely understand why some people did not enjoy Zhang Huan’s exhibit, or why they feel like he is not a real artist. Because he doesn’t actually put a paint brush to canvas, his art style may seem a little far fetched. However, has that ever stopped anyone from calling not calling themselves artist. Look at Criss Angel, that shock magician. He’s not doing Da Vinci murals, but what he does I believe is the same as Zhang Huan’s, just more to shock people than to get a message across. Or how singers call themselves artists (Paris Hilton), who don’t sing and have others write their music for them. Isn’t it more fair to call the man who puts together a giant Buddha head out of ash an artist than it is to call Paris Hilton one?
October 8th, 2007 at 11:41 pm
interesting point… but do two wrongs make a right? just because one person is “more” of an “artist” than someone else does that make them an artist?
p.s. just playing devil’s advocate here